


Leaving The Nest

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: And Loooooots Of It, Blood, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Emotional Dissociation, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Grief/Mourning, I Don't Even Know, I have no idea what I'm doing, I'll Probably Keep Adding Tags, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Suicidal Attempts, Indiscriminate Violence, Jötunn Loki, Kidnapping, Loki Does What He Wants, Mentions of Pregnancy, Multi, Mutual Dependancy, Non-Sexual Bondage, Or maybe it is, Other, Possibly Gore, Power Play, Referenced Casual Sex, Seriously People Be Dropping Like Flies Up In Here, So Does OFC, Tags Are Hard, Temporary Loss Of Sanity, Violent tendencies, Why Did I Write This?, lots of death, minor stalking, personal issues, questionable morals, this thing is a mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-02 15:17:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5253080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bree had a pretty simple routine: Get up, go to work, occasionally have a little fun after, go to bed and crash until the next day. </p>
<p>Simple. </p>
<p>That is, until she caught the eye of a certain wayward deity who is more than happy to shake things up. But has he bitten off more than he could chew?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: Bree

**Author's Note:**

> This story sprung from a dream I had. As usual, I have no idea how long this is gonna be as I flesh out the plot-thingy for coherency purposes.
> 
> This is set in an AU where Loki didn't pretend to be dead on Svartalfheim (he just royally fucked up, the semi-suicidal little bastard), and therefore is not and has never impersonated Odin (except maybe that _one_ summer, but that's none of my business). I'm also trying something new, as this will be told in first person, with the POV alternating between the main OFC and Loki between chapters. Let's hope my mind doesn't implode or something trying to keep up with _that_ brilliant plan. Chapter two'll be up in a bit.

    My life started the day I died.

 

   Believe me, I know how that sounds. But it’s true.

I was born on the sixth of November at about 3:37 in the morning in the parking lot of a run-down bar in some middle-of-nowhere town in the good ol’ US of Fuck You.

 

    My mom wasn’t very good at planning.

 

    My name was Bree Lennon, I measured and weighed way less than I should have thanks to mom’s oh, so balanced diet, I had little tufts of almost-black hair that slowly lightened over the years to an almost red-ish sort of brown and big blue eyes that ended up a bright green in the end. I wasn’t exactly pretty growing up and I was sick a lot of the time; I barely saw the outside world outside of school ’til I hit puberty. _That_ sure did me favours. Turns out the ugly duckling was a swan after all; suddenly the short, pale, skinny little weirdo grew some T &A and I was practically dodging all the pricks who use to pick on me and push me around. I honestly preferred the bullying; those pick-up lines were truly a horrible thing to behold. My life was hardly glamorous; in fact the only good thing in it was my big sister, Lily.

 

    Yeah. Lily Lennon. Thanks, mom.

 

    The only thing I can say I miss about my old life is my sister; she was my constant, my rock, the only one who actually gave a shit about my well-being. I’ll never forget the sight of her, dead and drained; those beautiful green eyes we shared so utterly lifeless it was hard to believe they ever shone at all. In the end, I think that’s what actually killed me; the vampire that drained me dry was just a formality.

 

    Oh, yeah; there’s vampires in this. I know, I know; they’re not supposed to be real and all that. I didn’t think they were either, but the mouthful of sharp teeth clamping down on my neck had a way of convincing me otherwise. It happens.

 

    When I awoke again, after the obligatory freaking out and trying to run away from everything near me, I was introduced to Irene, aka Mother, and the rest of her not-quite-so-little-anymore-these-days brood. At the time, they were ten in all not including her, and I basically hated them all. Still do, actually, but what can you do? You don’t get to pick your family. Time passed, mistakes were made, acquaintances formed and all that crap, and I adapted to my new existence with all the grace of a new-born colt. And thus here I am, several decades later and still trying to prove to everyone, myself included, that I am not a complete walking disaster.

 

    Except I kind of am. Life sucks that way.

 

    And good _god_ , did I actually just make that pun?

 

****

 

    It was a slow night, nothing interesting going on back home and I had nothing to do, having finished my share of the work early that day (fun fact: vampires don’t actually burn in sunlight, and if I wanted to, I could even sport a mighty sexy tan), so I found myself wandering aimlessly through the back roads of the town I was cruising by. Walking noiselessly, a skill that took me far too long to master for my self-respect, I passed a car parked on the side of the road and heard the distinct sounds of a couple screwing in the back seat. Ah, hormones.

 

    Because I’m weird like that, I decided to peek through the window. I should probably be ashamed of the lengths I will go to trying to stave off boredom. But hey, free show and it wasn’t half bad; had to give that girl points for flexibility. Regret came later in the form of the realisation that I was a) really horny now, and b) really hungry. I probably should have eaten before I left the nest three days prior.

 

    I am not good at planning. _Thanks, mom._

 

    As I left the young lovebirds behind I made the decision that the next decent-looking guy I came across was gonna be my wine, dine and bang. Not necessarily in that order. I’m a lot of things, but a necrophiliac is not one of them.

 

    The walking meal in question turned out to be a pair of brothers (twins, how cute), blond and tall and clearly used to picking up random chicks in jean shorts and leather jackets. The back of their car was a mess, so I settled for sitting on top of the trunk. Classy, I know, but I’m not very picky at the best of times and I _really_ just wanted to get off. Sex before food always works up my appetite, and I was already pretty damn hungry, so as soon as Thing 2 and I were done I wasted no time in standing up and getting my clothes back in order.

 

    “Oh, by the way...” I said conversationally as I moved up to Thing 2.

 

    I grabbed his face with one hand and snapped his neck with a mere flick of my wrist. Gotta love superhuman strength. Before Thing 1 could finish his horrified exclamation of ‘What the fuck’, I rushed to him and crushed his larynx with the heel of my hand, leaving him to suffocate on the floor while I fed off his brother. Once they were both empty and I was sated (well, alright, more like gorged) and clean, I sifted through their stuff, finding some cash in their wallets (forty-seven bucks between the two of them. Whoopee.), and some condoms the little shits didn’t even bother to use. Real fucking responsible. Finding nothing else useful, I pulled out my cell and phoned home for a clean-up crew, sticking around only long enough for them to track my GPS for the location (because _of course_ I didn’t know where the hell I was), then heading back into town, stopping by a 24-hour drugstore on the way to my motel room for some morning after pills.

 

    Because, yes, vampires _can_ , in fact, get pregnant and impregnate. Who knew? I didn’t. Also turns out the usual contraceptives besides condoms don’t work, but morning after pills do. Why? I have no idea; I’m not exactly an expert in vampire biology, and I may have skipped class that day. In any case, unless you want some little bats running around, it’s either the back-up pill, rubbers, or an abortion back at the nest, which I found out the hard way is in _no way_ a pleasant experience. I’d rather gargle battery acid, frankly.

 

    As I was fishing my room key out of the pocket of my jacket, I felt eyes on me, but seeing as it was nothing new to me and I was tired and a little groggy from overfeeding, I chose to ignore it in favour of taking my damn pill, stumbling out of my clothes and into the bed and promptly passing the fuck out.

 

    In retrospect, I probably should’ve paid more attention.


	2. Chapter Two: Loki

    Contrary to popular belief, I have nothing against Midgard, and my distaste for humans is not much greater than it is for every other race I’ve come across, barring a few. Actually, I rather like the realm; it holds a certain charm, and mortals can be rather fascinating in some respects. Their ingenuity, for instance, in the face of their short lives is most interesting; one downside to a long-lived society such as the aesir is that change is slow in coming, if it occurs at all. There is simply no need for much progress as far as they are concerned. It is positively stifling for someone like me.

 

    I’ve always had a curious mind. Change fascinates and delights me; the chaos of the journey often more than the result itself. There’s a reason I earned the title of God of Mischief so early on in my life. But unlike what was assumed, my pranks and tricks were never meant to disturb or harm, unless I was particularly upset.

 

    I just wanted to see what would happen.

 

    I will admit I have made mistakes, some particularly destructive, but more often than not they were the result of simple miscalculations. Even I can’t plan for every single eventuality, after all. Just most.

 

    Walking in the realm again of my own volition was quite freeing, and I found myself at a bit of a loss as to what, exactly, I was going to _do_. The downside, I suppose, to having spent so long with too much time on my hands and not much to occupy it with. More than once during my ‘conditioned release’ (which in actuality was simply a shinier cage) on Asgard I lamented the fact that I had so spectacularly failed to die on Svartalfheim like I very much intended; at least in Hel I would have had something to do. Boredom really is one of the worst torments I could be subjected to; my escape was always a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’. I’ll admit I did feel a bit bad for Eir and her unwitting part in my plan; the healer is one the few people I still hold some regard for, but nostalgia and affection cannot hold a candle to desperation. I doubt she faced much, if any, punishment, as important and respected as she is.

 

    In any case, here I now am; in the second least place they’d expect me to be, with the chaos and misdirection I left behind more than enough to afford me quite the breath of freedom before my inevitable recapture. A few days of laying low to rest and recharge (I was, after all, still recovering from my last near-death experience), and then I could begin to have my fun.

 

****

 

    I had been returning to my temporary lodging from a nightly walk when I saw her; a lovely little creature of fair skin and long waves of dark hair, dressed far too lightly for the weather yet seemingly unbothered by the fact. But what drew me the most were her eyes; they were a green almost as brilliant as mine, and seemed to almost shine in the near darkness of the surroundings. She stopped by a door five rooms away from mine, fumbling through her jacket for her key with clearly tired movements, before tensing slightly as she found it. After a moment or two, she opened the door and entered the room without so much as a backward glance, though I knew for a fact that she had noticed she was being watched. Interesting.

 

    I waited for some minutes before retiring to my room to try and avoid suspicion. Wouldn’t want to reveal myself too soon; that would take away some of the fun, and I do so love a good chase.

 

    I awoke the next morning far later than I had intended to a throbbing pain on my chest; one thing I could say about the dark elves, they certainly knew how to craft weaponry that would cause the most amount of lasting pain with even the smallest of wounds. The wound itself was all but gone, save for the scar I would get to keep as a reminder. As if I didn’t have enough of those. For a while, it might have been minutes or even hours for all I cared, I simply lay there, trying to find enough of a motivation to actually move. Not for the first time, I almost regretted my haste to leave Asgard, and Eir’s care, so soon. Almost.

 

    What finally prompted me to get up was the sound of a door opening and closing, which reminded me of the girl I’d seen last night. Carefully, I moved over to the window and pulled back the curtain just enough to be able to peer outside. There she was; dressed a bit more warmly than previously in jeans tucked into long boots, a somewhat frilly red blouse and the same leather jacket from before, a backpack slung over her shoulder, her attention completely on a phone in her hands that she was speedily typing into. She hesitated minutely as she noticed my staring, but once again seemed to ignore it and kept walking. I would have to be careful following her until I was ready to interact, but that would only make it that much more rewarding in the end.

 

    I almost lost her in the time it took me to able to leave the room; clearly I hadn’t rested enough yet, but it would have to do. When I found her again, she was halfway out of town, apparently intending to walk at least for now; she had put the ends of an object into her ears (headphones, if memory serves) and plugged the other end into her phone, fiddling with the device for a few moments, before beginning to sway lightly from side to side. After a while the music she was listening to apparently picked up the pace, and she began actually dancing as she walked, garnering more than a few odd looks from passersby as she swayed, spun and skipped her way down the street with abandon. It was amusing and... strangely mesmerising to watch.

 

    Clearly I’ve been alone for longer than I thought.

 

    Half an hour later, I had to leave her to sate my hunger, as she didn’t seem to have any interest in stopping for sustenance any time soon and I really couldn’t ignore my stomach’s protests any longer. Before we parted ways I placed a simple tracking spell on her, in case she boarded transportation while I ate; it was strange, but I could have almost sworn she noticed the moment my seidr reached her. Her steps faltered and she shivered slightly before continuing on her way as before. Perhaps she was finally feeling the chill of the season.

 

    My precaution bore fruit, as the next time I saw her she was, in fact, climbing into a vehicle. The spell would hold for a few miles while I secured transport of my own, so I was not overly worried about losing her.

 

    It wouldn’t do for my game to end before it could begin, after all.


	3. Chapter Three: Bree

    Five days. It’s been _five days_ , and I’m _still_ being watched. The feeling’s gone on occasions, but it always came back before long, and it was starting to irritate me. It meant that I couldn’t go back home just yet; I didn’t want to think about what Mother would do to me if I let a stranger follow me all the way to the nest. The last time anyone was _that_ careless, they had conveniently disappeared, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s that I like living it. So that left me to wander aimlessly until whatever was stalking me got close enough for me to face it (’cause I sure as shit don’t get paid enough to chase stalkers) or lost interest and left. Good thing I didn’t have a curfew anymore; as long as I checked in every other week to let them know I was still alive, I could stay away as long as I wanted. The only real downside was that my workload would pile up, but that was only fair.

 

    The annoying part of this, however, was the fact that I was starting to get hungry; pigging out like I had would hold me over longer than if I’d had regular meal, but it would still only last so long, about an extra day or two. If this kept up, I might just make a meal out this new shadow of mine.

 

    As soon as it came close enough. Because fuck effort.

 

    I was sitting in a roadside diner occupying a solitary booth at the back, absently sipping on a cup of coffee with way too much sugar and playing solitaire on my phone, when I registered someone sitting across from me. I looked up to see a big, burly man who’s whole appearance screamed ‘trucker’ cradling his own cup of coffee and smiling at me in a way that he probably supposed was charming, but really, _really_ wasn’t.

 

    “What’s a pretty girl like you doing all alone all the way out here?” He asked, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Didn’t these creeps ever get new material?

 

    “I’m just passing through,” I said in a somewhat bored tone, turning back to my phone, hoping he’d take the hint.

 

    “You got a ride?” He asked.

 

    “I’ll figure it out,” I replied disinterestedly, not even bothering to look up this time.

 

    “Where you headed? Maybe we’re going the same way,” He insisted.

 

    “I highly doubt that,” I said shortly, seriously not in the mood to deal with his kind.

 

    “You know, you could be a little nicer to someone who’s trying to do you a favour,” He snapped, raising his voice.

 

    With a bored sigh, I glanced up at him. “Dude, give it up; you’re not getting in my pants.”

 

    He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a word out, the cup in his hands basically exploded, spilling hot coffee all over his arm and lap; he let out a string of rather impressive swearing, and I took the opportunity to grab my bag and make a hasty exit, not even bothering to question what the heck just happened.

 

    Two hours later I found myself walking down a deserted road in the rain because the universe hates me, hoping a car would pass by soon because my backpack was only so waterproof and my phone was not at all. At least I didn’t have to worry about my health, since I’m utterly incapable of catching a cold, but my phone was very much in danger; and while I could just get a new one for calls and such, that would leave me without tunes until I got back home and that is a fate worse than death as far as I’m concerned.

 

    Finally I heard a car approaching behind me and I turned around, walking backwards, and thrust my thumb in the air, putting on my most innocent and desperate ‘damsel in distress’ expression. It slowed as it got closer, pulling to a stop just next to me; the passenger’s side window rolled down to reveal an older looking woman with a kindly sort of face framed by greying blonde hair.

 

    “Sweetie, you look absolutely miserable,” She said good-naturedly, unlocking the door, “Come on in.”

 

    I wasted no time in opening the door and plopping into the seat, laying my backpack on my lap before buckling the seatbelt, gushing gratefully, “Thanks so much, I thought I was gonna drown out there!”

 

    “What were you thinking? Don’t you know there’s a storm coming?” She scolded in a way that told me she’d probably raised kids.

 

    “I didn’t, actually,” I answered honestly, bowing my head sheepishly. I probably should’ve checked the forecast before leaving the diner at least; my stellar foresight at work again.

 

    “Well, that’s alright; you can wait it out in my house, it’s not far,” She offered with a warm smile.

 

    “Oh, I don’t wanna be a bother,” I replied, knowing full well it wasn’t exactly a question.

 

    “Nonsense, it’s no bother at all,” She replied, like I knew she would, “Besides, it’d be nice to have some company again for a change.”

 

    “Since I’m clearly not getting out of this, okay then,” I laughed.

 

****

 

    I actually felt kind of bad killing her, but by the time we got to her house I was just too hungry to wait out the storm to feed. She’d told me on the drive that she was a widow and lived alone, her kids barely called, much less visited, and her health was failing her lately; the only thing missing was a neon sign on her forehead reading ‘Eat Me’. Who am I to ignore a sign? At least I made it painless. Go, me.

 

    After stashing the body in a freezer down in the cellar, I wandered about the place, closing storm shutters and locking doors and whatnot, then I settled in on the very comfortable sofa in the living room with a book I found. It wasn’t long after that that the rain worsened, the wind started picking up force and the thunder and lightning began to make themselves known; I’d gotten here just in time. As the storm worsened, the power went out, which I only noticed because my phone complained about the now-useless charger it was plugged into, seeing as I hadn’t bothered to turn the lights on. Not two minutes later, I heard knocking on the front door, and I let out a slight groan of annoyance; I was very comfortable and a visitor only meant another body I’d have to dispose of. I waited for a minute to see if they’d go away, but the knocking persisted, growing more forceful, and I reluctantly got up and headed over.

 

    I opened the door to find a thoroughly soaked man, at least a head taller than me, with black hair currently plastered onto his pale face almost completely obscuring quite possibly the brightest pair of green eyes I’d ever seen. That gaze was familiar; the very same one I’d felt on me for half a week.

 

    My reaction was purely instinctual as I brought my fist up in a flash to connect harshly with his face, knocking him down to the floor completely out cold.


	4. Chapter Four: Loki

    I awoke to the worst headache I’ve ever had that Thor hadn’t _accidentally_ given me, and for a moment in my disorientation I almost cursed the oaf, before remembering that he was not here and we were not children anymore. With a groan I went to massage my temples with my hands, only to find I couldn’t move my arms; finally I opened my eyes and, trying to will my vision to clear, I just managed to make out that my arms were tied above my head at the wrists to what I took to be the headboard of a bed.

 

    It took me far longer than I was comfortable with for me to realise I was not alone in the room, and I looked down to find the very girl I’d been following, sitting on an armchair in the far corner. I only noticed it was her because of the tracking spell, as my vision still hadn’t fully cleared and she was sitting in the dark. But her eyes... they had the glow of a nocturnal predator, and with the intensity of her gaze I knew she was seeing me as clear as day.

 

    It was then that I realised this girl was _not_ human.

 

    Clearing my throat slightly, I tugged lightly on the bonds around my wrists and said with a grin, “Well, this is a fun way to wake up.”

 

    “Why are you following me?” She snapped, clearly not in a gaming mood. A shame, really, because I most certainly was.

 

    I decided to reply with a bit of honesty, to gauge her reaction. “I was bored. You intrigued me.”

 

    For a moment she was silent, as if pondering my response. When next she spoke, her words caught me somewhat by surprise. “What did you do to me?”

 

    “I’ve done many things, I can’t be expected to remember them all; would you care to elaborate?” I replied lightly, mostly stalling as I searched my mind for my knowledge of midgardian creatures, trying to find one capable of sensing seidr who would fit her description, and coming up blank. Perhaps some type of fae? Though I’d never heard of one with eyes like hers. A lycanthrope?

 

    So lost was I in my thoughts that I failed to notice she had stood up and moved closer to me, only realising when she was on top of me, sitting practically on my chest and snapping her fingers in front of my face.

 

    “Hey! Focus,” She called, and I’m ashamed to say my expression must have clearly shown my shock, for even in the near-total darkness I could make out a smirk upon her lips.

 

    “Mm, apologies; I seem to be having difficulties thinking straight. Head trauma usually has that effect,” I snapped irritably. This was not turning out as I had hoped.

 

    “What can I say; stalkers make me violent,” She replied with a shrug.

 

    “So I see,” I commented, “Would it be too much to trouble you for a bit of light? I’m afraid I don’t have your advantage.”

 

    “Answer my question and I’ll think about it,” She replied.

 

    With a sigh, I figured I may as well. “A simple tracking spell; nothing harmful to you, I assure you.”

 

    She mulled over my words. “What are you?”

 

    I breathed a laugh. “I don’t think you’re ready for that answer, little one.”

 

    “Try me,” She bit back.

 

    “How about that light? It is only fair that I see my interrogator,” I tried.

 

    “I said I’d think about it,” She replied, “Still thinking.”

 

    I decided to let the subject drop for now in favour of a rather more pressing need. “Some water, then? I can hardly answer your questions properly with a throat like sand.”

 

    For a moment, I thought she wouldn’t take the bait, but then she stood and walked out of the room, stopping briefly at the door to throw a warning over her shoulder. “Try anything, I’ll break your spine.”

 

    As soon as I was sure she was gone, I began testing my restraints, quickly realising undoing the knots would be... _problematic_. I focused instead on the headboard; I could break it easily enough, though not without some degree of noise, and I still didn’t know _what_ the girl was much less what she could do. Some type of lycanthrope was my best guess, but without knowing what kind I was at a distinct disadvantage in my current state. Not for the first time, I cursed this blasted storm and the utter lack of shelter in the area; I hadn’t planned on approaching her this soon, and had I more time to observe, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

 

    Once again, my weakened state made it take far too long to notice she had returned and was standing just outside the door; she walked into room and resumed her place atop my abdomen, wordlessly bringing a glass to my lips. My eyes had adjusted as well as they would to the lack of light by now, and I could distinguish her better.

 

    Once thirst was no longer a problem, I thanked her with no small amount of sarcasm. “Where shall I begin?”

 

    “A name would be nice,” She replied.

 

    After some deliberation, I said, “Loptr.”

 

    Not exactly a lie, if we are to get technical. She seemed satisfied with the answer, leaning over to place the now-empty glass on one of the tables on either side of the bed, then settled back looking at me expectantly.

 

    “Alright then, Loptr; where’d you learn a tracking spell?”

 

    Instead of answering, I chose to ask, “For the sake of politeness, may I not know _your_ name?”

 

    She smirked again. “Lenn.”

 

    A half-truth if I’ve ever heard one; it would seem I had been caught. Perceptive creature.

 

    “I learned that spell from an old book as a child,” I chose by way of reply.

 

    “What do you want from me?” She asked, shifting slightly on my lap, making me inhale sharply.

 

    “At the moment I would settle for you moving off of me; your current position is... quite distracting,” I replied through half-gritted teeth, trying to keep my focus on the conversation in spite of it.

 

    I am asocial, not _dead_.

 

    She seemed to find my reply amusing, leaning forward and hovering over me, keeping herself up by placing her hands on my shoulders, and softly asked, “And if I don’t?”

 

    “I’m afraid you will not be getting any useful answers from me,” I replied with some difficulty. Truly I have been alone for far too long.

 

    She leaned further down so that our noses were almost touching (and despite my very best efforts I could _very much_ feel her ample chest pressing down on mine) and positively _purred_ , “Well, that would depend on my definition of ‘useful’ now, wouldn’t it?”

 

    This was most _definitely_ not turning out as I had hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loptr (pronounced 'Loftyr') is one of Loki's other names from the myths, and it comes from the word 'lopt'(loft) which is Old Norse for 'sky'.


	5. Chapter Five: Bree

    I’m not a complicated person. At all. Basically everything I do can be explained with one very simple question: Why the fuck not?

 

    It’s why I dress the way I do, why I talk the way I do, even why I eat the way I do; it’s the reason for my choice of music, friends, and extracurricular activities. Simply put, I’m an impulsive creature. Which is exactly how I ended up lip-locked with a guy I knew for a fact had been following me around for the better part of a week, who had awoken not that long ago from being knocked out and tied to the bed of a recently departed nice old lady.

 

    In my defence, he wasn’t exactly complaining.

 

    Vampires have very heightened senses, and this guy... To say he was intoxicating would be an understatement; he smelled like leather and pine and crisp winter air, his racing heartbeat was pounding in my ears and the taste of his mouth was driving me wild. It wasn’t until I heard him hiss slightly in pain and tasted blood in my mouth that I snapped out of it and pulled back, the both of us panting and him looking at me somewhat dazed. There was a smudge of blood on his bottom lip and I wiped it off with my thumb and brought it up to my mouth, sucking the digit clean absently.

 

    “Sorry about that,” I muttered apologetically. He gave me a questioning look. “I forget sometimes to keep my, uh, _anatomy_ in mind.”

 

    That only seemed to confuse him further, so with a sigh I leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp, having found a generator in the basement while he was out to get the power back on despite the storm. I waited until we’d both adjusted to the sudden brightness, then looked down at him and gave him my biggest grin.

 

    Now, contrary to popular belief, vampires’ teeth aren’t just regular ol’ human teeth with longer and sharper canines like you see in the movies; that’s just our everyday look meant to help us blend in more easily. We’re basically manipulating your mind into seeing them that way. In reality, aside from the canines, all our other teeth are sharp and pointy, if a bit shorter than the aforementioned units, like a fruit bat’s. You can google that if you want. It can be a little unsettling for the average person to come across. And yes, it does take getting some used to and you _will_ shred your tongue a few times; it’s part of the reason newly-turned vampires aren’t left alone, at least not by responsible parents.

 

    I knew I was taking a risk, showing my... guest? Captive? Whatever. But honestly, it’s not like it was very likely he’d be leaving here alive anyway, so why the fuck not? His eyes widened in shock at first (completely expected, no shame in it), but soon enough it was replaced by a look of curiosity. That was new.

 

    “What exactly... _are_ you?” He asked interestedly. I opened my mouth to speak then hesitated, wondering if I should tell him or not. There are rules, you know; and as reckless as I can be, even I know better that to break _that_ one without Mother’s express permission. He seemed to realise my dilemma. “If you’re worried about me revealing it to others, I assure you it’s unnecessary; even if I were foolish enough to reveal my location by doing so, there is likely not a single person alive who would take _my_ word for anything.”

 

    I eyed him curiously. “So no-one knows you’re here?”

 

    “No; and were you to end my life, I doubt I would be missed,” He replied somewhat bitterly.

 

    I snorted. “Why don’t you tell me where to bury you while you’re at it,” I said sarcastically.

 

    “If you meant to kill me, you would have done so by now,” He reasoned.

 

    “Maybe I like to play with my food,” I said with another grin. Aaaand cue the flash of fear and the worried expression. He even gulped slightly. It was kinda cute. I laughed and patted his cheek lightly. “Relax, dude; I already ate.”

 

    Relief flooded his face and he let out a breath he probably didn’t know he was holding. “I don’t suppose I’ll be getting an answer, then?”

 

    “Not supposed to tell anyone without Mother’s say so, so no,” I replied with a shrug.

 

    “I see. And what exactly do you intend to do with me?”

 

    I sat back and thought about it for a moment then decided on complete honesty. “I have no fucking clue.”

 

    “Ah. Well, could you at least loosen these?” He asked, pulling on his rope-bound wrists a bit, “I’ve lost most of the feeling in my fingers.”

 

    “Right. Circulation,” I mumbled absently, reaching over and undoing the knots. As soon as his hands were free, he rolled his wrists and flexed his fingers to restore blood flow. I leaned forward, placing my hands on either side of his head, my hair spilling over my shoulders and obscuring most of his face. “Here’s the deal: I _could_ kill you, probably should actually, but I kinda don’t really want to. That would just be a waste, plus I’d have nowhere to put your corpse ’til the storm passes ’cause the freezer’s already full. _But_ , I can’t exactly just let you go, either, for reasons I can’t get into that would be very very bad for my health.”

 

    “A compromise, then?” He suggested, bringing his hands up and combing my hair back over my shoulders and thus out of his face, “We coexist until the storm passes, after which I dispose of that body you mentioned, thus saving you the trouble of doing it yourself, and then remain with you until such a time as I am found by those I hide from.”

 

    I thought about it, then suddenly remembered something. “It was you!”

 

    He looked at me in puzzlement. “Pardon?”

 

    “Back at the diner. The coffee,” I clarified.

 

    “Oh, that. Yes, it was,” He replied with a slight laugh, “Though it seems all I truly accomplished was to save that fool’s life.”

 

    “Ah, well; it’s the thought that counts,” I said with a smile. I leaned down close to his face again and murmured suggestively, “Now why don’t I thank you?”

 

    What can I say? I hate to leave something unfinished.


	6. Chapter Six: Loki

    As far as plans gone awry went, I couldn’t really consider this one a failure; not when the result was so very enjoyable. Whatever manner of creature Lenn was, I had to commend their stamina; and the woman herself clearly knew what she was doing.

 

    The storm came and went in the midst of our coupling with no notice whatsoever, and by the time we parted it was well into the next morning. As Lenn showered afterwards I took the opportunity to go downstairs and look through her things. Not the most honourable of actions, to be certain, but who ever said I was honourable? Her bag had a few changes of clothes stuffed into it along with a large envelope; contained within was a photograph of a middle-aged man in a business suit and a paper with his addresses and schedule written on it. As I read the file I sensed movement behind me, though too late.

 

    “Having fun?” Lenn whispered in my ear.

 

    Before I could react, she grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back painfully before slamming it against the table before me harshly, causing me to lose consciousness.

 

    When I came to it was dark again, I was tied to a chair, and my head felt as though I had been trampled by a herd of bilgesnipe; I’m fairly certain that had I been human my skull would have been split open by the force Lenn used to knock me out. The realisation was not comforting. As I tested my new bonds, Lenn walked into my line of vision looking none too pleased.

 

    “You just had to look didn’t you?” She asked with a calmness that sent minute shivers down my spine, being far too familiar with the kind of storm it could conceal, “Guess privacy only applies to you, then.”

 

    “A lesson learned,” I replied, tugging on the ropes, “Next time I will ask.”

 

    She flashed those unnerving fangs of her in a humourless grin. “Give me one good reason why there should even _be_ a next time.”

 

    “You’ve not killed me yet,” I pointed out evenly.

 

    “A girl needs to eat,” She replied with a predatory glint in her eyes. It would be a blatant lie - and not a very good one, at that - to say I wasn’t worried now.

 

    “You remember I said I was hiding from someone?” I said, hoping to change her mind or at least stall her enough to break free of the ropes, “I could let them know where I am right now. If you kill me, you’ll have them to answer to.”

 

    “Thought you said no-one cares about you,” Lenn sneered.

 

    “Disgraced or not, I am still a prince of Asgard!” I snapped before I could stop myself.

 

    “Oh, are you, now?” Lenn asked amusedly and I swore. She laughed. “Well, then, _your highness_ ; that certainly changes things. ’Cept for the part where it doesn’t.”

 

    “It should, if you value your life,” I warned, trying to salvage the situation.

 

    “I’m not buying it; ’cause if it mattered, you would’ve started with that,” She said with a grin, “But you don’t want me to know who you are. Your threat is empty.”

 

    “Are you certain you wish to test that?” I countered, “Perhaps my reluctance to reveal my identity is part of my plan, and you are playing right into it.”

 

    “No, that slipped out,” She said with a smirk, “You have no authority and no power. There’s no-one left to miss you, is there?”

 

    I am sure that my expression faltered as I felt the sting of just how true her words rang. I was a prince in name only, and there was nobody left who would actually care, much less notice, that I was gone.

 

    “Perhaps there will be no-one to mourn me, but I am most certainly not powerless,” I replied with subtle fury lacing my voice.

 

    She hummed amusedly. “Nope! Try again.”

 

    “Oh, I certainly will,” I replied lowly, then pulled on the ropes with a greater measure of my strength, breaking the back of the chair apart. Games were all well and good but it was clear now she posed an actual threat I couldn’t ignore.

 

    As Lenn moved towards me I unleashed a burst of energy that sent her crashing against the far wall. I wasted no time in summoning my dagger and as she stood up, I rushed to her with the intent to stab her but she dodged me with an ease that surprised me. Turning, I just barely managed to avoid a swipe of her suddenly _very_ sharp nails and swung again, only to miss her by inches.

 

    She held the advantage over me when it came to speed, and so I used the advantage of my seidr against her; conjuring a copy of myself and slipping past it to stand behind her as she took the bait. The illusion dissolved as she attacked it, and she whirled around to face me, but I was too close for her to get away in time. With my forearm against her neck, I slammed her back into the wall and plunged my dagger into her abdomen. As the blade pierced her, Lenn actually _growled_ and slammed her fist against my side with enough force to snap a rib or two, knocking the air out of me and causing me to stagger back. She took the opportunity to tackle me to the floor, sending my dagger scattering away far from my reach, and then she grabbed head and slammed it against the floor hard enough to disorient me but not enough to lose consciousness again. She turned my face to the side carelessly and then I felt a burning pain spread as she sunk her fangs into my neck.

 

****

 

    As she began to drain me I found I didn’t have the strength to fight her off, and I was quite certain this would be my end as my vision blurred and darkness closed in on me; so it was with no small amount of surprise that awoke to find myself back in bed. I tried to sit up, but the wave of dizziness and nausea that washed over me caused me to drop back down onto the mattress with a groan.

 

    “I wouldn’t try moving any time soon,” I heard Lenn speak from the chair she had been sitting in when I first awoke here and my eyes snapped towards her with no small amount of apprehension.

 

    “You did not bind me this time,” I managed, though my voice sounded far weaker than I would have liked.

 

    “No need; you’re not going anywhere,” She replied matter-of-factly, and she was right; I was in no shape to even stand. She stood and walked over to the bed silently, causing me to tense warily, then she tilted her head to the side curiously. “What are you?”

 

    “And why should I tell you that?” I countered.

 

    “Because it might just save your life,” Lenn replied with a smirk.

 

    “I highly doubt you have heard of my kind,” I tried. It was bad enough most of Asgard knew the truth by now; I saw no need to spread the information further.

 

    “Tell me,” She demanded.

 

    “Why?” I challenged. Not the best of my ideas.

 

    In an instant Lenn was looming over me and I keenly felt how she pressed a hand on my side and snapped one of my ribs. I succeeded in not screaming from the sudden pain, but I couldn’t help crying out, my eyes watering and another wave of nausea washing over me.

 

    “I can do this all day, Loptr,” She warned casually, “Sooner or later you’re gonna run out of bones.”

 

    “You think you can intimidate me, wench? You have no idea who you are dealing with,” I snarled.

 

    Biting back the pain I raised my arms to wrap my hands around her neck. She wrenched my hands away easily and pinned them down by the wrists above my head with bruising force, then leaned down close with a predatory grin.

 

    “That wasn’t a threat, sugar; it was a promise,” She half-whispered, then closed the rest of the distance between us and captured my lips with her own.

 

    It was then I truly realised I was in way over my head.


End file.
